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Easy trick to raise smart children

Nov. 1, 2013|304 views

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Any parent dreams of having a successful child, studies suggest that some parents even hold their children back one full year before enrolling them into kindergarten in the hope to give their child the advantage of being more mature than his or her peers and therefore more successful.

But I guess that may not be necessary anymore, it appears that there is a simple solution that you can use, music. Music has charms to sooth a savage breast, but did you know it may also lead to greater success in life? According to new research, children who are exposed to music and other arts at an early age are much more likely to become creative, successful businesspeople. Scientists at Michigan State University studied a group of honors college graduates who had studied science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curricula.

Those who had participated in arts and crafts activities throughout childhood were far more likely to own a business or a patent. More than 90% of the successful young people had undergone formal music training, as opposed to just one-third of their less successful peers. The STEM graduates reported substantial experiences with arts-related activities, including dance, visual arts, acting and creative writing. Evidently, the students acknowledged using skills learned from their arts educations—such as intuition, imagination and the use of analogies—to solve real-world problems and achieve success.

Much research has focused on the effects of musical training on creativity, math skills, language skills, and other faculties. Science has shown that musicians’ brains are structured differently than non-musicians’ brains, for instance, and there’s some interesting new research that suggests that music can serve as a sort of bridge to help children with autism spectrum disorder cope with communication difficulties, stress management, interpersonal relationships and attention.

Do the arts have a welcome place in your home? Do you think participation in the arts helps children become more well-rounded people? I’d be interested to hear your comments, especially now, when many arts programs are being cut in our schools.

Brown LS, Jellison JA. Music research with children and youth with disabilities and typically developing peers: a systematic review. J Music Ther. 2012 Autumn;49(3):335-64.